Game board having concentric closed paths connected by linear paths inter-secting at center



June 22, 1965 GAME T. LOUIE 3,190,655

BOARD HAVING GONCENTRIC CLOSED PATHS CONNECTED BY LINEAR PATHS INTERSECTING AT CENTER Filed Aug. 12, 1963 THOMAS LOUIE 1e. 1. Fmi/ ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,19%,655 Patented June 22, 1965 3,190,655 GAME BOARD HAVENG CONCENTRIC CLOSED PATHS CUNNECTED BY LINEAR PATHS INTER- SEEt'ZTlNG AT CENTER Thomas Louie, 601 Hairless Place, West Hempstead, N.Y. Filed Aug. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 301,281 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-131) This invention relate to board games.

An object of my invention is to provide a game which can be easily learned yet presents a continuing challenge to the skilled player.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game wherein the outcome is determined by the skill of the players rather than by chance.

Still another object is to provide a game which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

In the present invention, a playing board is provided having three concentric coplanar closed paths marked thereon. The three closed paths are arranged symmetrically about a common center which forms the intersection of four angularly displaced linear paths. The four linear paths intersecting at the center extend to the outermost of the closed paths. Thus, there are twentyfive locations (defined as points) on the board, each point being formed by the intersection of two or more paths.

The game is played by two persons, each person being provided with one distinctive set of twelve playing pieces. The playing pieces in each of these sets have a first portion hearing a marking distinctive of that set and a second portion bearing a marking common to both sets.

In one embodiment of my invention, the three closed concentric paths are rectangles located one inside the other. Two of the linear paths form the diagonals of the three rectangles and the other two linear paths connect diametrically opposite points midway between the vertices of the rectangles. The four linear paths intersect at the center of the three rectangular path forming a point which, for reasons disclosed hereinafter, is termed the emergency point.

The play of the game is divided into three phases. In the first phase, the two players alternately place their playing pieces with the distinctive markings exposed on any unoccupied point they may select except the emergency point. The object of each player is to get three of his pieces on adjacent points along any one path. When he succeeds in so doing he turns over any one of his opponents playing pieces exposing the portion having a marking common to both sets. The point on which the overturned piece had been resting is then blocked; thatis, .the overturned piece cannot be moved from the point and no other playing piece can be placed on that point. Phase one of the game continues until all twenty-four playing pieces in both sets have been placed on the board.

At the beginning of the second phase of the game, all of the playing pieces having their common marking exposed are removed from the board. The players then alternately move their playing pieces to adjacent points, the object again being to get three playing pieces on adjacent points along any one path. Each time a contestant succeeds in moving three of his playing pieces to adjacent points on the same path, he removes one of his opponents pieces. During phase two (as is phase one), all points except the emergency point may be employed.

Phase three begins when any player is losing and is reduced to six or fewer pieces. When both of these conditions are satisfied, the losing player may use the emergency point in order to position three of his playing pieces on adjacent points along the same path. When either contestant is reduced to two playing pieces, he loses the game.

The above objects of and the brief introduction to the present invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one form of board used with my invention;

FIG. 2 shows top and bottom views of a typical playing piece employed by one of the participants, and

'FIG. 3 depicts top and bottom views of a typical playing piece employed by the other participant in playing the game.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a game board 11) having three concentric square paths 11, 12, and 13 having a common center. Two linear paths 15 and 16 intersect the vertices of paths 11, 12, and 13 and common center 14 forming points 17 to 28. Similarly, linear paths 29 and 30 intersect paths 11, 12, and 13 and center 14 forming points 31 to 42.

FIG. 2 shows a typical playing piece used by one of the players which, for example, may have one side 50 colored red and the other side 51 white. FIG. 3 illustrates a typical playing piece used by the other player which may have one side 52 colored blue and the other side 53 white. It shall be understood that any con venient means may be used for marking the playing pieces as long as each set has a first portion which distinguishes it from the other set and a second portion which is the same as the other set.

As previously described, the play of the game is divided into three interrelated phases. The position of the playing pieces as well as the number of pieces possessed by each player are significant in determining the winner. This is particularly true at the beginning of the third phase of the game since the losing player may ultimately win if he has succeeded in positioning his pieces in such a way that he can take advantage of the emergency point.

By way of illustration, a contestant is able to place three of his playing pieces during the first phase of the game on one of the groups of points shown in Table I, he then selects any one of his opponents playing pieces already on the board and turns it over exposing the white side 51 or 53. The point occupied by the overturned piece is then blocked and neither contestant may use it during the remainder of the first phase of the game.

At the beginning of the second phase of the game, the playing pieces having white sides 51 or 53 exposed are removed from the board and the remaining pieces alternately moved by the contestants from one point to the adjacent point. The objective of each of the players is to place three of his pieces on one of the groups of points shown in Table I. Phase two differs from phase one in that when a layer succeeds in placing three of his pieces in such a group he removes one of his opponents pieces from the board rather than turning it over and blocking the point.

When one of the contestants has been reduced to six or fewer pieces and is losing, he may then place his pieces on the emergency point 14. Thereafter, as long as he is losing, he may complete a group and remove one of his opponents pieces by placing three of his pieces on the playing points listed in Table II as well as those listed in Table I.

Table II The winning opponent is restricted to the group listed in Table 1. He may, however, remove any piece hi opponent has placed on emergency point 14 as well as the other points on the board. If the numbers of playing pieces of both contestants become equal and less than six, then both may use emergency point 14. If, during the third phase, the number of playing pieces possessed by the previously winning contestant falls below that of the previously losing contestant, he may place his piece on emergency point 14 when, it is empty whereas the previously losing contestant may not.

The game is ended when the number of playing pieces possessed by either contestant is reduced to two and the other contestant is then proclaimed the winner.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many different embodiments could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A board game comprising (a) a playing board having (1) first, second, and third concentric closed paths thereon, said first closed path being the farthest of said paths from the center of said concentric paths, said third path being the closest to said center, and said second path being at a distance from said center intermediate that of said first and third paths, and

(2) fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh angularly displaced paths intersecting at said center and connecting diametrically opposite points on said first path, each intersection of two or more of said paths being defined as a point, and

(b) first and second sets of playing pieces, each playing piece in each of said sets having a first portion and a second portion, means whereby said first and second portions may be selectively exposed to view, the first portions of the playing pieces in each set bearing a marking distinctive of that set and the second portions of the playing pieces of both sets being identical, each of the playing pieces in said first and second sets being of such form as to be operatively positionable on the board regardless of whether said first or second portion is exposed.

2. A board game comprising (a) a playing board having ('1) first, second, and third concentric closed rectangular paths thereon, the corresponding vertices of said rectangular paths defining a straight line, said first, second, and third paths having a common center,

(2) fourth and fifth linear paths connecting the corresponding vertices of said rectangular paths and intersecting at said common center, and

(3) sixth and seventh linear paths connecting corresponding points on said rectangular paths located midway between said vertices, said sixth and seventh paths intersecting at said common center, and

(b) first and second sets of playing pieces, each playing piece in each of said sets having a first portion and a second portion, means whereby said first and second portions may be selectively exposed to view, the first portions of the playing piece in each set bearing a marking distinctive of that set and the second portions of the playing pieces of both sets being identical, each of the playing pieces in said first and second sets being of such form as to be operatively positionable on the board regardless of whether said first or second portion is exposed.

3. A board game comprising (a) a playing board having (1) first, second, and third concentric closed square paths thereon, the diagonals connecting the vertices of said squares intersecting at a common center,

(2) fourth and fifth linear paths intersecting at said common center and lying along the diagonals of said first, second, and third square paths, and

(3) sixth and seventh linear paths intersecting at said common center and connecting points midway between adjacent vertices of each of said first, second, and third square paths, each intersection of two or more of said paths being defined as a point, and

(b) first and second sets of playing pieces, each playing piece in each of said sets having a first portion and a second portion, means whereby said first and second portions may be selectively exposed to view, the first portions of the playing pieces in each set bearing a marking distinctive of that set and the second portions of the playing pieces of both sets being identical, each of the playing pieces in said first and second sets being of such form as to be operatively positionable on the board regardless of whether said first or second portion is exposed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 957,800 5/10 Richardson 273 963,505 7/10 Boulware 273-131 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BOARD GAME COMPRISING (A) A PLAYING BOARD HAVING (1) FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD CONCENTRIC CLOSED PATHS THEREON, SAID FIRST CLOSED PATH BEING THE FARTHEST OF SAID PATHS FROM THE CENTER OF SAID CONCENTRIC PATHS, SAID THIRD PATH BEING THE CLOSEST TO SAID CENTER, AND SAID SECOND PATH BEING AT A DISTANCE FROM SAID CENTER INTERMEDIATE THAT OF SAID FIRST AND THIRD PATHS, AND (2) FOURTH, FIFTH, SIXTH AND SEVENTH ANGULARLY DISPLACED PATHS INTERSECTING AT SAID CENTER AND CONNECTING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE POINTS ON SAID FIRST PATH, EACH INTERSECTION OF TWO OR MORE OF SAID PATHS BEING DEFINED AS A POINT, AND (B) FIRST AND SECOND SETS OF PLAYING PIECES, EACH PLAYING PIECE IN EACH OF SAID SETS HAVING A FIRST PORTION AND A SECOND PORTION, MEANS WHEREBY SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS MAY BE SELECTIVELY EXPOSED TO VIEW, THE FIRST PORTIONS OF THE PLAYING PIECES IN EACH SET BEARING A MARKING DISTINCTIVE OF THAT SET AND THE SECOND PORTIONS OF THE PLAYING PIECES OF BOTH SETS BEING IDENTICAL, EACH OF THE PLAYING PIECES IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SETS BEING OF SUCH FROM AS TO BE OPERATIVELY POSITIONABLE ON THE BOARD REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SAID FIRST OR SECOND PORTION IS EXPOSED. 